First Step

Opus One

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2009

So for those who don’t know, this wine is a collaboration between one of the most famous California winemakers and one of the most famous Bordeaux wine makers (the grapes are from Napa).

The young expression when I first had it 10 years ago was big bold ripe fruit, probably the quintessential Napa cab.

The aged expression had more secondary and tertiary characteristics, terroir, and represented Baron Rothschild in respects of crafting a wine that could grow and develop and express the care that goes into winemaking as opposed to simply growing good fruit.

The young version of it perfectly expresses Mondavi and Napa. The aged version captures the elegance of Bordeaux winemaking and Rothschild’s fingerprints. You cannot fully experience this wine unless you’ve had it young and old. Unbelievable experience tonight.
— 9 months ago

Dave liked this

Château Musar

Bekaa Valley Red Blend 2000

Second time I’ve had the pleasure of tasting this. The 2000 is in the pocket right now, firing on all cylinders. Complex, layered, and eye opening. Was fun to watch the reactions of those who were tasting Musar for the first time. Talk about a wine that gets the gears turning. Outstanding. — 4 years ago

Anthony, Scott@Mister and 11 others liked this
Severn G

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You bet, ultimate contemplative wine, any vintage, but older is better.
Ely Cohn

Ely Cohn Premium Badge

Totally agree. Just opened 2017. Wonderful but so much structure. So much time to smooth out

Marchesi Antinori

Tignanello Toscana Super Tuscan Blend 1981

🏅 Rating 93+/100 (4,35⭐)

Tasted from magnum.

Ruby color with tawny hue showing the age. First nose has a slight touch of iron. Fruit is ripe and sweet. Vegetable scent of tomato stems suggesting presence of Cabernet Sauvignon. Sandy tannins of Sangiovese. Amazing how bottle aging makes the wine so smooth and satin.

Mostly tertiary aromas, but very well holding the age and could last for at least 5 more years without any signs of decline

Elegant expression of famous Tignanello.

1981 was outshadowed by great 1982. It was 10th anniversary vintage and is considered a very fine one.

Key oenological data:
Average sugar content of grapes at harvest 21.00%
Average total acidity of the grapes 7.80%
Alcohol content after fermentation 13.00
Average fermentation temperature 28C
Length of fermentation 13 days
Acidity of wine after malo 5.90
Ageing in 225 litre barrels 20 months
Bottle ageing in our cellars 18 months

======
I have published the article with a story of Tignanello, the emblematic SuperTuscan wine from Antinori.

\- What were the key factors of its success?
\- What makes this wine stand out from many other wines form Tuscany?

Best enjoyed with a glass of Tignanello.

Read the full article at www.stasmedvedev.lv/wine

---
Instagram: @wine_talks_club
— 5 years ago

Severn and Ira liked this

First Drop Wines

Mother's Ruin Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Lättfotat och förföriskt vätskgodis. Omogna hallon. Småpartierna på systemet. — 8 years ago

Screaming Eagle

Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

My first ever "Eagle" and it delivers ! Clear 100 pointer for me - beautiful !
— 9 years ago

Dick, Stef and 5 others liked this

La Rioja Alta

Reserva Viña Ardanza Rioja Tempranillo Garnacha 2007

Beautiful Rioja. Lots of oak at first, but fades away into stewed plums, chocolate and well balanced acidity. — 9 years ago

Taittinger

Comtes de Champagne Grand Crus Brut Blanc de Blancs 1998

Exquisite and dainty. A slight toast in the first sip and lingers with honey and yellow fruit. Femininity reigns with this Blancs de Blancs. — 10 years ago

Paul and Mateo liked this

Gros Ventre Cellars

First Born Pinot Noir 2013

Magnum...love it! — 10 years ago

Rachel Caggiano
with Rachel
Rachel liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2002

Crazy good paired with dipping into gamba al ajillo (emphasis added), at Napa's groovy/real Zuzu, catching a classic deeply dirty nose while still sporting sun-drenched fruit that initially reworks one's first blush front mouth with an iodine edge that morfs into red and black fruit edgy with acid/tannin slow dancing to the depths and begging for another pinch of broth soaked chewy freshly baked bread and the associated next swig of this sweet juice...rhythmically stellar by day or by night😎🌌👣🍷🌀🎼

PS hit Zuzu (friendly, delicious and real...

— 11 years ago

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

An incredible complex layered Bordeaux blend, is better now than when I first experience it out of barrel. @winewatch @cheapwinefinder #WINE @Sassodoro @sociallybrenda @larrywyn — 11 years ago

Erik and Joseph liked this

First Press

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Great wine with pork or chicken — 13 years ago

Château Cos d'Estournel

Saint-Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend 2016

Pretty deep ruby , thin ruby rim . This is quite closed at first , but very focused mineral and grafite , oyster shell notes with dark blackcurrant and blackberry notes , spicy touches too . On the palate this is really focused and reserved , lots of mineral tinged black fruits , tobacco , oyster shell . Quite rich yet very good balance, fresh acidity . Ripe but gritty tannins , saline and really long finish . Accessible now , but really destined for the long term. Wait another 5-10 years , will drink well a further 20 . At Vinous Icons, Pier 60 NY, Feb 2025 — 10 months ago

Dave, Tom and 12 others liked this

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

Dark inky black almost. Black fruit. First bottle of the Howell Mtn in a while. Just a quick open bottle decant, drinking incredible. Super smooth fine tannins. Lovely balance of ripe black fruit, black cherry. Toblerone. Great mouthfeel and lovely finish. The ‘14s are starting to hit their stride. Really good. — 4 years ago

Milissa, Brent and 4 others liked this

Jean Foillard

Côte du Py Morgon Gamay 2011

This bottle was a lovely gift from our friend Tim who visited Omaha this past Spring. Our only instructions were to enjoy it together with food; challenge accepted! While I have experienced many wines produced by Foillard, this was my first with his “Cote du Py”. The wine pours a deep ruby color; slightly hazy in the glass. On the nose, at least initially, there are signs of some Brett giving a barnyard characteristic but that sort of blows off (or at least becomes less obvious) with cherries, earth, blackened poblano, underripe plum, and purple Sweet Tarts taking a more central role. On the palate, it’s mostly dark cherry and blackberries showing very little in the way of evolution. Medium+ acid, medium- tannin. The finish was super long. I was really impressed how young this wine was coming across; hardly an indication of anything that would indicate ten years of age. Yet more proof that Beaujolais can cellar quite gracefully. We loved how this paired with grilled rack of lamb and a light salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, garbanzo beans, mozzarella and prosciutto. Grazie Tim! — 5 years ago

Andrew, Daniel and 16 others liked this
Daniel M

Daniel M

A favorite!
Daniel M

Daniel M

A favorite!

Heitz Cellar

Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1980

Fill into the neck and beautiful cork. Not as compelling asa 1978 or 1984 a couple of years back, but still a marvelous example of aged Cali Cab. Remarkable to me that there were about 3,000 cases each year. Hard to pick a winner in the first Cab flight. All showed well for their age - a really fun flight. — 7 years ago

P, Severn and 13 others liked this
Michael Meyer

Michael Meyer Premium Badge

I loved this

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars

Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Mike R
9.0

Road wine so ease off me please and I usually enjoy stag leap but last night so so

First off o smiled but because I drank entire bottle

Color was fine smell was aromatic but from there the other things were off

Taste was not what I expected as was too much heat and alcohol and finish was weak

Sadly I have a few and will be handing off as gifts to people I really don't know when needed - sorry to al future gift receivers
— 9 years ago

Mike, Jonathan and 38 others liked this
Weijie Shi (Jay)

Weijie Shi (Jay) Influencer Badge

Agree. Got some heat attack as well last time I tried it.

Château Léoville Barton

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2006

Drank this over the course of 6 days using Coravin...still too young, but the wine really opened up by the last day. Smells and tastes like a Grand Bordeaux St. Julien wine as it should. I used to this wine to test the Coravin. It is clear that oxidation starts right after the first pour. — 10 years ago

Silver Oak

Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Ok my first log in I admit I'm a Novice. Had a glass so dont know what year but this was fabulous. Nice and dry, very smooth. — 10 years ago

Caymus Vineyards

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Really happy to find this 1 litre for only $129 especially considering 750ml sells for $100 in the store. First time for the 2013 vintage. Very similar to 2012 and another winner for me. — 11 years ago

Slava, Rick and 1 other liked this

Dominus Estate

Dominus Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 1994

From magnum. A step below the 91 but still a crowd pleaser. Perfect PNP, but even better 2hrs in. — 11 years ago

Richard, Howard and 4 others liked this
Richard Steinberg

Richard Steinberg

I hate you. And miss you.
Mitchell Lieberman

Mitchell Lieberman

I have this wine in a 6 liter!

The Prisoner Wine Company

The Prisoner Napa Valley Zinfandel Blend

Needs to breathe a bit at first, but drinks well. Tastes more expensive than it is. Good red! — 13 years ago

Château Lynch-Bages

Grand Cru Classé Pauillac Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2007

Smooth and soft, great first wine in a while — 2 years ago

Douglas liked this

Beaulieu Vineyard

Private Reserve Georges de Latour Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

1984, surprisingly tanic, acidic, and Heavy dried fruit, prunes and dried figs. over oxidized tasting at first but interesting. From producer to cellar at breakers in palm beach. Small leak out the bottle on one side of the cork. Over time it settles and the dried fruit subsides and then the lighter acidic flavors of fresh berries comes forward. — 4 years ago

Benton-Lane

First Class Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Deliciously decadent, yet balanced Pinot that held up nicely with a Porterhouse steak! Ample plum, black cherry and sweet earthy notes with velvety-smooth tannins — 5 years ago

Paul liked this

Georges Dubœuf

First Wine of the Harvest Beaujolais Nouveau Gamay 2020

Red berries on nose. Strawberry, blackberry, plum and leather with bright acidity and assertive tannins. Too tannic on its own, but excellent with Thanksgiving dinner — 5 years ago

Louis Roederer

Cristal Brut Champagne 1990

Delectable Wine
9.7

The 1990 Cristal is remarkable. Polished, nuanced and light on its feet, the 1990 is all class. Citrus, orchard fruit and floral notes are wonderfully lifted throughout. A slight reductive note adds character on the finely knit finish. I can’t think of a better way to start this tasting. Simply put, the 1990 is a total rock star. Moreover, it is much more delicate than most wines from this ripe vintage. Amazingly, the 1990 tastes like it is still not ready! “Nineteen ninety was my second vintage here,” says Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. “It was ideal. The fruit was just perfect. We blocked the malolactic fermentation completely and only fermented 6-7% of our lots in oak, as opposed to the more typical 20%, in order to preserve as much freshness as possible. The wine was made by my predecessor, Michel Pansu, but I was learning. This was the first year I started working with oxygen by reducing sulfites in vinification to pre-oxidize the Chardonnay musts, as I do know, which allows me to get rid of all the unstable, oxidative compounds. With Pinot, on the other hand, you need a little bit of sulfur at crush or you lose the brilliant fruit. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 7 years ago

Corison Winery

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2010

Somm David T
9.2

On the nose, stewed fruits of; black plum, blackberries, dark cherries, plum and blueberries. Mocha, chocolate, mixed berry cola, sweet spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, caramel, loamy mineral soils and dry dark florals. The mouthfeel is less concentrated than other vintages of Corison but that's indicative of the 10 Napa vintage generally. The tannins are nicely resolved with another 5-8 years before they are completely resolve. The fruits are; dark cherries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, blackberries with strawberries that dance around the rest of the fruit. There's nice barrel toast, vanilla, nutmeg, light clove, cinnamon, touch of wood shavings, liqueur notes, caramel, mocha chocolate, mix berry cola, loamy soils, dry crushed rocks, bramble, dry stems with nice soft round acidity. The finish is a little lean but tasty. Good balance of fruit and earth with long, rich elegance. Cathy slightly overachieved the 10 vintage as a whole. Photos of; her estate building, Cathy in her vineyard, grapes coming in at night (better to harvest when the fruit is cooler) and her estate vineyard in all it's glory. Producer notes and history...Cathy Corison grew up in Riverside, California. She studied biology at Pomona College and was on their men's diving team, because the school didn't have a women's team. In 1972, she had to take an extracurricular class. She signed up for a trampoline class, but changed her mind upon seeing a sign-up sheet for a wine tasting class. This class was the catalyst that sparked her interest in winemaking. After graduation in 1975, she moved to Napa Valley in California. She received her Master's degree in Enology from University of California, Davis. Upon moving to Napa, she started working in the tasting room at Sterling Vineyards and at a wine shop. During this time, she was getting her Master's degree at the University of California, Davis. She was told by her professor that she would not get a job in Napa Valley because of being a woman. However, if she wasn't the first Napa Valley female Winemaker, she was certainly one of the first. She tried to get a job at Freemark Abbey and was denied because they believed she could not work in the cellar. She almost took a job at Christian Brothers in the enology lab. However, she decided not to take the job and in 1978 she became an intern at Freemark Abbey and eventually became their Winemaker. She joined Chappellet in 1983 and was their Winemaker for nearly ten years. She founded Corison Winery, in 1987. The winery is located in St. Helena, California in a barn built by her husband, William Martin. Corison makes Cabernet and Gewürztraminer. They produce about 3,500 cases a year depending on the vintage. The winery makes a Kronos Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon and as well as a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The Kronos is an estate wine that is made from organic grapes. The vineyard is dry farmed. The grapes come from one of the oldest vineyards in Napa Valley. The Napa Valley Cabernet comes from Rutherford. The Gewürztraminer is called Corazón and comes from the Anderson Valley. — 9 years ago

Eric, Trixie and 40 others liked this
Eric

Eric Premium Badge

Checking this out later this month
Somm David T

Somm David T Influencer Badge

@Eric S Corison is a pleasant visit. They also do a nice harvest party on Sunday afternoon in September.
Severn G

Severn G Influencer Badge Premium Badge

@David T Nice write up again David. I'm intrigued to find her connection with one of my favorite producers, FAW. I'll drink vintages crafted under her care with a renewed perspective. Thank you.

Domaine Jamet

Côte-Rôtie Syrah 2008

First time tasting Jamet. Nice deepness on this hard vintage. Hints of smoky lard, cumin and pepper with a touch of flower. Ready to drink. — 11 years ago

Martine liked this

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1981

Um yeah... #BOOM status granted for this at the #yulwinethrowdown . 81 not the best of vintages and wines are reportedly past peak but this first growth was not. Very interesting flavour profile, certainly secondary characteristics but structurally still pretty sound. I was glad to find it still alive and in my opinion had many more years left before the big decline. Awesome privilege to have tasted. — 11 years ago

Parker Coonawarra Estate

Terra Rossa First Growth Red Bordeaux Blend 1996

Jason
9.8

Ethereal genius from the old stalwart — 13 years ago

Jamie liked this